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From Questions to Insights
by Lynda Dahl
and
Cathleen Kaelyn
 I'm
old enough to have witnessed the deaths of several dear friends, family members,
and acquaintances. Good people all, with very diverse characteristics. Yet,
years ago I was struck by what I recognized as a similar thread woven through
many of their psyches, a thread I hadn't noticed previously because I took it
for granted as a condition of life.
The thread reflected an underlying sadness
that life hadn't worked out the way they'd hoped, that there was so much they
had to offer that never found the right time or circumstances, that life wore
them down more than boosted them up. Then I noticed that that thread, in various
colors and weights, wove its way through many of my very-much-alive family and
friends -- and through me, as well.
I didn't notice any of this until I read a book called Seth
Speaks by Jane Roberts. The ideas in this book so challenged my
beliefs about life and reality that I felt compelled to read more, think more,
learn more. So I went on to read dozens of books by Seth and by other authors.
And the overriding reason I hung in there, with tenacity, in the face of what
seemed to be preposterous ideas, was because most of these books contained one
main theme: We create our reality through our thoughts, emotions, and beliefs.
In other words, what seems to happen to us is caused by us -- if we change what
we think and feel, we can change our life. I eventually came to realize that
life isn't meant to be constantly challenging and heartbreaking, that it can be
happy, joyful, even magical, if we but allow it.
My actor daughter Cathleen Kaelyn, my creative and research partner in the
development of Fallacies, was a teenager when I picked up my first metaphysical
book. She and I had always been close, our thinking running parallel much of the
time, so it was no surprise when she started reading books similar to those I
was exploring. Eventually we began swapping ideas, debating concepts, and
looking for practical ways of using the information. And practical applications
reveal themselves to Cathleen regularly. In my previous
books I talk about how she relied on her understanding of the nature
of reality to pull her through some difficult experiences -- most notably after
she was raped and in the creation of her Screen Actors Guild card.
In my case, there is not one area of my life that has not been significantly
changed for the better because of my introduction to metaphysical ideas.
Finances, relationships, health, you name it. And because it notes my entry
point into metaphysics, I mention in all of my books that I consciously created
a million dollars a few years after I started practically applying the
information. I also left a long executive career in the computer industry and
stepped smack into a life of author, president of a nonprofit organization,
co-founder of a publishing company, and eventually, radio host.
Except for the author role, my life was shared by my dearly loved Stan
Ulkowski, until March 22, 1999, the day he chose to leave this reality for
different venues of expression. His death initiated perhaps the most difficult
time of my life, and I can't imagine having faced it without this new knowledge.
I came to know firsthand that when the mind's understanding about the nature of
reality is truly changed, not only do "good" things happen with more
regularity, but when "bad" things occur we're prepared to handle them
in ways previously foreign to us. Life becomes less painful, more solid, more
centered, its potential more promising, more accessible.
The really big news that emerges from metaphysics is that we all have far
greater control over what we experience than we've ever thought possible. In
fact, if truth be told and understood, on one level of our psyche we have
absolute control over what we experience. Not only do we have the ability to
steer our lives along paths of our own choosing, we have the directive to do so.
Quite a jump in thinking from that of the man or woman on the street. But, of
course, Cat and I aren't alone in our new views; millions of people across the
globe are in the same learning mode. And it all points to something of import
taking place in this time and space -- the development of a new worldview
heralded by a major shift in thinking. When such a shift begins to occur in a
civilization, the status quo falls under scrutiny. As the shift broadens, the
scrutiny becomes intensified, eventually knocking the status quo off its
complacent backside into the roiling waters of hard questions and new insights.
Over time a new status quo emerges, accepted as fact by a large slice of the
world's populace -- and civilization never looks back.
Perhaps you're no stranger to metaphysical ideas. Like Cat and me, you may
have quested to find new answers. And you probably already know that creating
the razzle-dazzle, one-time event isn't what it's all about, although that can
clearly happen. What we're all really looking for is a day-to-day flow of life
that suits our own characteristics and personalities as a whole, is supportive
in all ways, and provides an ongoing, ever-unfolding sense of fulfillment. No
small accomplishment, to be sure, but one made possible by new knowledge -- and
application of that knowledge.
God knows the journey is worth it.
Worldviews don't turn on a dime. They don't turn at all unless contrary ideas
bloom in the current garden of thought. And, boy, if there's one thing most of
us dislike it's contrarians, whether in the form of people or ideas. Contrarians
say that there are alternative ways of viewing the world -- and who needs it?
The status quo is just fine, thank you very much.
Or is it? If your personal status quo is one in which you experience a life
of toil, broken relationships, constant illnesses, or financial difficulty, and
if it brings you a glow of satisfaction, then put this book down and simply
enjoy the heck out of your life, because it clearly suits you. But, if you have
questions or concerns about the status of your ongoing existence, then it's time
to dip into the pot of contrarian ideas and find those that possibly make more
sense the more they're contemplated. Not that new ideas should be bought carte
blanche, but perhaps they can be explored with less hesitation knowing that the
tried and true are there to fall back on if the new becomes too wacky.
Don't forget, we're panning for magic. We're looking for the elusive
something that makes sense of life, that promises a better way, that by nature
leads to a lighter heart, a spring in our step, a smile more often than tears.
We're looking for the calm underlying our thoughts, a generous peace of mind, a
knowing that all is well, all is manageable, all is meaningful, and all is
possible. And, yes, we're looking for material well-being, as well.
We're panning for magic, the kind honed of intelligent ideas and touched with
veracity. We're not looking for fluff -- sweetness and light won't work for very
long. What we seek is sustainable through time, something our children and our
children's children can count on to help them create intensely fulfilling lives.
We're looking for concrete information that we can work with, that ignites our
thoughts and fires our imaginations, and can lead to whatever we desire. So we
must pan for magic in some out-of-the-ordinary places. After all, if it were
where we've looked before, we would have found it by now.
 This
article is excerpted from:
The Book of Fallacies
by Lynda Dahl
and Cathleen Kaelyn.
©2001. Reprinted with permission of the publisher, Moment Point
Press. http://www.momentpoint.com
Info/Order
this book.
About the Authors
After
working for companies such as Apple Computer, Lynda Dahl ended her corporate
career as a vice president in the computer industry. She now writes and lectures
extensively on consciousness and has appeared on countless radio and television
programs. She is also the president and co-founder of Seth Network
International. She lives in Eugene, Oregon.
Cathleen Kaelyn, Lynda Dahl's daughter is an audiotape voice talent and stage
and screen actor. She has been nominated three times for the prestigious Irene
Ryan Acting Award. She lives in Sherman Oaks, California, with her husband,
actor Scott Rinker.
For information regarding speaking engagements and to contact the authors,
please write, phone, or email Moment Point Press, PO Box 4549, Portsmouth, NH
03802. Phone: (207) 438-9101 Toll Free: (800) 556-1828
This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
or visit their website at www.momentpoint.com.
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